U.S. defense chief promises to more military aid to Israel after Iran deal

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter on Monday promised Israel that Washington will increase the military aid to the Jewish state during a first visit by a cabinet-level U.S. official to Israel since the nuclear deal with Iran was announced.

In a joint press conference with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Carter said the United States will do all it could to "help defend Israel, if needed," including using "our most advanced naval and air assets, with sophisticated munitions that put no target out of reach."

He said that next year Israel will be the only U.S. ally in the region to be equipped with F-35 fighter jets. In addition, the U.S. will maintain its support to Iron Dome anti-missile defense shield, which helped protect Israel last summer from rocket fire by Gaza militants, Carter said.

Ya'alon said that although Israel "greatly disagrees" with the agreement reached in Vienna, "the scope and depth of the relationship between the defense establishments of the United States and Israel is unprecedented, between the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defense, between our armed forces, intelligence corps and defense industries."

On Tuesday Carter is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers "an historic mistake." The hardliner prime minister believes that lifting sanctions on Iran clears its way for acquiring nuclear weapons.

Although tensions between the two allies have been on the rise over Netanyahu's staunch opposition to the nuclear agreement, the U.S.-Israel defense ties have deepened in recent years.

The Pentagon chief will visit also Jordan and Saudi Arabia, which also worry about possible increased Iranian influence in the Middle East. Endit